Thursday, 22 August 2013

I have been busy in the garden this week. Tidying up, weeding and just soaking up the wonderful colours and scents of late Summer.
This year I grew some sunflowers, smaller than usual, about 2 ft in height and a selection of nasturtiums that meander through the foliage in a blaze of orange and red. They really light up the garden.
I thought of how Van Gogh must have been enchanted by the bright, bold blooms of the sunflowers and how impossible it would be to let them fade away without painting them.
Well, I'm no Van Gogh but I'm going to paint them anyway!
My version will include vivid red nasturtiums in a pretty painted jug.
Day one of my "Van Gogh" moment...NOTE...no ears were harmed in the creation of this painting ;)

Starting to paint in the first layers of the sunflower composition

I had a busy day today but still managed to get a bit more painting done. I've been making a start on the shadows and darker areas which has already made a big difference.

Many layers of paint build up to give the depth of colour

Finally after many more hours of painting I have come to the end of my Van Gogh moment. I wonder if he would have approved of my efforts? "Sunflowers and Nasturtiums" Acrylic on box canvas 16"x 20"x 1.5"

Thursday, 8 August 2013

Lately I have been busy working on a commission for a lady that wanted it as birthday present for her daughter.
My brief was to paint the two pet cats and to incorporate their names into the picture.
Obviously I needed plenty of reference material, so my client set off, camera in hand to"stalk" the animals in question. All this had to be kept secret or the surprise would have been spoiled. Photographing cats is not always as easy as it looks!
Eventually we ended up with a selection for me to work from.
My immediate thought was of traditional head poses with their names written below...but....that's just not my style! Instead I decided to create a composition that would put the cats into a relevant scene.
In some of the photos I was able to see the soft furnishings in their house, I reproduced these in the painting by decorating the cushions and cat rug with the same colours and patterns.
Then I added the cats names by making them look like they were appliqued cushions.
It all worked really well and I'm delighted to say that both my client and her daughter love it!

"Pip and Katy" Acrylic 16"x 20"x1.5"

What I havn't mentioned is that the birthday in question isn't until Christmas! Unable to keep the painting a secret for so long we decided to hold a surprise Un-Birthday celebration.

I made a "Happy Not Your Birthday" card, wine was drunk and candles blown out on cup cakes :)

Just like the Disney song from "Alice in wonderland" a very merry un-birthday to you ....

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Welcome to my blog.....

Thank you for visiting and taking time to view my artwork.I paint with acrylics on canvas. Using very small brushes allows me to retain a smooth surface on which I can indulge in fine detail.Each painting being a little bit brighter....a little bit clearer and a little bit more colourful than real life!Hope you enjoy your visit .